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AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 10, x917.

Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

II SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. H. SQUIRE AND H. A. MERCIEQ AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED mac. l0. I917.

Patented Sept. 30,1919,

I? SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w. H. SQUIRE AND H. A. MERCI.

I AUTOMATIC FIREARM. APPLICATION FILED DEC: 10, 1917. 4

2 J -z 9 J J Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

w. H. SQUIRE AND H. A. MEBCIE.

AUTOMAHC FIREARM.

APPLICATION mm 05c, 10. 1911.

Patented Sept. 30,1919.

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AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 10. 1917. 1,317,633. Patented Sept. 30,1919.

Patented Sept. 30, 191 9.

17 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

w. H. SQUIRE AND H. A. MERCIE AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 10, 1917. 1,317,633.

W. H. SQUIRE AND H. A. MERCl E,

AUTOMATIC FIREARM,

'APPLICATION FILED DEC- IO, 19. I h

PatentedSept. 30,1919.

1] SHEETS-SHEET 7.

w. H. SQUIRE AND H. A. MERCIE.

' AUTOMATICFIREARM.

APPLICATION F lLED DEC-10,1917.

Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

w. H. SQUIRE AND H. A. MERcIE.

AUTOMATIC FIREARM. APPLICATION flLiD DEC. 10, 191?.

Patented Sept. 30, 1 919.

I? SHEETS-SHEET 9.

w. HJSQUIRE AND H. A. MERCl l-f. AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 10, 1917- 1 ,3 1 75633. I Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

I7 SHEETSSHEET l0- w. H. SQUIRE AND H. A. MERCIE. AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-I0, I917, 1,317, 33, Patentedsept. 30,1919.

l1 SHEETS-SHEET II.

w. H. SQUlR-E AND H. A. MERCIFZ.

AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 10, 1917.

Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

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AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

APPLICAHON FILED 020.10, 1917.

1 ,3 1 7,63 3 Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

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AU [UMATIC FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-10.1917.

Patented Sept. 30,1919.

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W. H. SQUIRE AND H. A. MERCIE.

AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 10. 1917.

I? SHEETS- SHEET 15.

1,317,633., PatentedSept. 30,1919.

w. H. SQUIRE AND H. A. MERGE.-

AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-10,19I7.

Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

17 SHEETS-SHEET I6.

w. H. SQUIRE AND H. A. MERcIE'.

AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 10, 1912.

Pfitented Sept. 30, 1919.

17 SHEETS-SHEET I7.

UNITED STATES PATENT onnron.

WILLIAM HORACE SQUIRE AND ALBERT MERCIE, OF ST. DENIS, FRANCE,

nssmnons TO sooni'rn ANONYME DES KISS & CIE., OF ST. DENIS,

ANCIENS ETAIBLISSEMENTS HOTCH- AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that we, WILLIAM HoRAcE;

S UIRE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of St. Denis Seine, France, and

HENRI ALBERT Mnnom, a citizen of the French Republic, and a resident of St. Denis,

Seine, France, have invented certain new 7 others skilled in the art to which it apper-,

tains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to an automatic firearm, more especially intended to be fired from a support, while still retaining its character of being portable, considering its relatively small weight as compared with machine guns. In other words, this firearm is an intermediary between a rifle and a machine gun, and it belongs to that class of firearms which are operated by the powder gases.

The main features of this firearm relate more particularly to the breech block; to the ejection; to means for operating the piston stop; to the cocking lever; to the firing speed controller or regulator; to means for regulating the tension of the recoil spring; to means for locking the Imagazine; to means for assembling the shoulder piece with the receiver; to a special arrangement of the closing gates which protect the inside of the firearm against dust during transport; to means forassembling the barrel with the firearm; and, finally, to means whereby any residual gases arising from the piston are prevented from finding their way into the the receiver;

mechanism of the firearm.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a firearm constructed in accordance with the said characteristic features of the invention. Like parts are indicated by llke reference symbols throughout the several views: a

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the rear half of the piece;

Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of the front half of the piece as seen from the right;

Figs. 2 and 2 show plan views of the parts shown in'Figs. 1 and it; I

. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Application filed December 10, 1917. S eriaI No. 206,502.

chamber;

Fig. 3 shows a front view of the piece as seen from the muzzle;

Sept. 30, 1919.

Fig. 4: shows a rear view of the piece as i seen from the breech;

Fig. 5 shows a central vertical section through the rear half of the piece, and shows the breech block in the forward position, and the magazine cover in the closed position; Fig. 5 shows a similar section through the front half of the piece, and shows the motor piston in its forward position;

Fig. 6 shows a horizontal section partly through the axis of the bore of the rear half of the piece and partly through the upper portion of the stock, the section being along. the broken line 66 of Fig. 5 and parts being shown in elevation;

Fig. 6 is a similar view of the front halfe of the piece, the breech block being shown-in the forward position in Figs. '6 and 6*;

Fig. 7 is a similar view to Fig. 5, except that the breech block is in the open position, the magazine is being supplied with car-. tridges, and the magazine cover is open;

Fig. 7 is a similar View to Fig. 5, but

shows the motor piston in the rear position,

and the magazine cover open;

Fig. piston;

Fig. 9 shows a section through the ejector box, and shows the ejector in plan, the section being along the line 99 of Fig. 7, and looking down; Fig. 10 is a lock; I

Figs. 10, 10 and 10 are diagrams showing the details of the safety lock, and of the side elevation of the safety 8 shows a side elevation of the motor pins for assembling the shoulder piece With cartridges are being fed to the loading 1 Fig; 13 shows Q Lamas:

Fig. 14 is a similar section along the line 14-14 of- Fig. 1;

Figs. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 are sections along the corresponding lmes of Fig. 1;

' Figs. 25 and 25 are sections through the receiver along the line 25-25 of Fig. 1, but

. with the parts contained therein in different positions;

Fig. 26 shows a section through the receiver along the line 26--26 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 27 and 27. are sections along the line 2727 of Fig. 1, but showing the parts in two different positions;

Figs. 28, 29 and 30 are sections along the lines 2828, 29-29 and ao-eo of Fig. 1

Fig. 31 shows a section along the line 3131 of Fig. 27;

Fig. 32 shows a central vertical section through the receiver, the parts contained therein being omitted;

Fig. 33 is a perspective view showing one i of the wear blocks or chocks which are used to decrease the wear on the operating parts. Fig. 34 is an end view of the breeck block; Fig. 35 shows a side elevation of the same; Fig. 36 is a rear view of the breech block; Fig. 37 is a plan view of the same; and Fig; 38 is an inverted planview of the breech block.

Referring to the parts briefly in detail, A represents the breechblock; B the receiver; G-the extractor which is carried by the breech block, and '1) represents the firing pin mounted in said block. E represents the ejector; F the cartridge magazine; G the piston-stop; I the motor piston; J the magazine gate or cover; K the cocking lever; L the shoulder piece, and M the gate to cover the ejection slot. N represents the controller; 0 the return spring for the motor pisto'n; P the trigger; Q the safety-lock; R and R assembly pins; 8 the barrel; and Tis the I guard for the motor piston.

The breech block A, shown in 11- and 12, is made of a single piece and is of the well known tilting'type, pivoting in our a vertical direction; it is formed with rear ribs a, a}, a 0, and two forward r1bs two cam A tilts is shown at a Figs. 32,7 and 1 2, the

two extreme positions of the breech block being illustrated in Figs. 5 and 7, and 11 and 12, respectively.

detail in Figs. 34 to 38, and assembled in Figs. 5, 7

e on oppov In the osition of Figs. 7 and 12, which correspon s to that of the 'open breech, the upper ribs a, a are within the- 'groovesb, b, (one on each side, Figs. 21 tor24), the upper face of the said ribs bearing ainst the lower-wall of the ribs 5 b 'of 0 receiver B, while the ribs a, a? bear under the ribs 5 5. same position of the breech block, the ribs or, a thereof are within the respective grooves 6 b and, in orderthat this tilting movementof the said-block may take place, the ribs a", a are slightly tapered, or narrowed toward the rear, as is illustrated in Fig. 35. Iii the position illustrated in Fig. 5, which corresponds to that of the'closed breech, the ribs a a and a a of the breech block A are substantially in alinement with the ribs 5 ,12 and 6 b of the receiver B, while the ribs a, a! constantly remain in their respective grooves.

On the other hand, in this This arrangement offers the important advantage that, owing to the symmetry of the bearing points for the breech block by means of the rear face. of its ribs a, a a a acting against the forward faces of the ribs 5 5 I axis of the breech block, the said axis coinciding with the axis of th barrel.

In practice, the actingbearing surfaces of the ribs 5 b b b may be formed of hardened ChOClKS b, fitted in the receiver B, as illustrated in Figs. 32, 33, and Figs. 1, 5, 6, 7 11, 12 and 24, the chocks being'driven in and'held by pins b (Figs. 1, 6 and 24. By these means, it is "possible, in casev of wear and tear, to exchange the engaging surfaces by substituting new chocks I) for old ones. The breech block A is provided, at its lower,'part, with a projection a formed ,with the usual opening and closing cams a a, respectively. a The extractor C, Figs. 5, 7,11 and 12, of the Hotchkiss type may be similar to the one described in U? S. LettersPatent to Bent and Merci, granted October 15,

1912, No, 1,041,410,, and entitled Cartridge case extractor. 4

The vfirin pin D, arranged within the breech bloc A, is likewise of the Hotchkiss known type, but it may be of any other system.

The The arrangement is such, however, that the .mechanism which 'actuates it serves at the same time to bringabout the engagement of the cartridge-magazine with the firearm. On the other hand,-this same mechanism cotipera'tes to, automatically disengage the said'magazine, the moment the last cartridge therein contained has been fired.

The ejector is pivoted on the pinv e be tween two lugs'e 6 (Figs. 5, 9 and 11),

formed on the receiver B; it is formedwith ejector E itself is the usual ejector.

'jection f on the latter.

a cam a (Fig. 11) which bears against a wall 6 ona box e", playing the part of lock for the magazine, as will be hereinafter described. I

At the front, the box 6 slides in grooves formed on the receiver, as is illustrated in Figs. 9 and 24; at the rear, it is guided by the pin 6 which passes through the elongated holes 6 in said box, as illustrated in Figsf'5, 7, 9, 11 and 12. The forward portion of the locking box 6. is notched, as shown .in Figs. 7 and 12, to engage the cartridge magazine F, by means of a pro- This magazine, which is of the usual known type, contains cartridges H and a spring H which pushes them successively to the loading position; and the magazine is held in place by a catch 7, Fig. 12. In the inside and at the righthand side of the locking box e is arranged a spring 6 (Figs. 9 and 22 and 23), which bears at one end against the pin 6 and at the other end against the forward and iii ternal wall of the said box.

As is the case with all firearms of this type, the piece according to the present invention is equip ed with a piston stop G,

the normal functlon of which is to stop thepiston when the breech block is in the open position, the moment the last cartridge of the magazine has been fired. Independently of its construction, which is peculiar, as will beseen hereinafter, the said stop is,

furthermore, so combihed with the locking box 6 asto actuate the said box, and, consequently, release the magazine, as soon as 'it is empty. The rifleman only requires then to substitute a loaded magazine for the empty one.

The said stop G, the shape of which is shown in'Figs. 1, 2, 3, 23, 24, 25 and 25 pivots on an axis 9 fitted to the receiver B. A spring 9' (Fig. 24) tends to push it inwardly into the position as shown in Fig. 25. A nose' 9 formed with an inclined face 9 comes in contact with the first cartridge H of the magazine. A catch 9 (Figs. 3, 23, 25 and 25*) formed on the body of thestop has for its main purpose to hold' the piston to the rear, and, consequently,

- also the breech block the moment the last cartridge has been fired; the said catch has,

furthermore, for its function to limit the travel of the stop by striking an abutment b on the receiver B, Figs. 1 and 23. When the magazinev contains'cartridges, the stop G assumes the position shown inFig. 25,

73. 6. its Ioutward position, inwhich a cartridge, owing toits contact with the/inclined face 9 pushes away the stop. This movement has for its purpose to release the catch 9*, so that the piston I may be free tofmove to and fro without hindrance, as long as cartridges are contained 1n the magazine. When, on. the contrary, the 1 magazine does not contain any more cartridges (it will be assumed that those illustrated in Fig. 25 are removed), and the inclined face 9 being no longer arrested by its contact with a cartridge, the stop G, in pivoting around its axis 9, is pressed inwardly under the action of its spring 9 thereby causing the catch 9 to protrude into the receiver B, so that the pistonmay, as it returns to in battery, rest thereagainst, through the intermediary of an abutment 11, Fig 8, formed on the said piston. I

The stop G is arranged in the following manner; for the purpose of releasing the magazine, when once the same is. empty. The stop is adapted to carry out, apart from itsrocking movement, on its axis g,

a longitudinal rectilinear -movement along said axis until, in view of the stress exerted by the abutment i on the iston I, it is arrested by the abutment Figs. 1, 23

and 25, formed on the receiver-B; it is providedwith. a projection 9 (Fig. 1) acting to establish its connection with the locking box 6, through the instr'umentality of a double lever g pivoted to a hub 9 F 6,

"on the receiver B and the lower arm of the locking As soon as t e said catch and 'the piston come into engagement, the stop is pushed forwardly along its axis until it abuts, at 6 against thereceiver B. The result is that, as it carries out its rectilinear movement,'the stop causes the double lever g to effect an angular movement, whereby the upper arm 9 acts upon the .arm e and thus pushes the locking box 6 backwardly, against the stress of its spring a (Figs. 1

and 2).. The object of this rearward movement Is to free the magazine F by releasing .the projection f (Figs. 7 and 12) from the notch formed on the said locking box.

The introduction of another magazine effects a reverse action from that hereinbefore described in that the first cartridge H, Fi .25, aotlngupon the inclined face g of t e stop G, pushes the latter back into the position illustrated in 'F' 25, releases the catch g and frees the pistonI, while at the same time,.owing' to its spring a the locking box e reengages the projection f on the maginzine F, Figs. 7 and 12.

The firearm is provided with agate J for closing the aperture for the magazine during transport. This gate can be closed by hand. It swings open automaticallyas 

